Cubtracker is dead. He no longer exists. No longer can I, will I, be associated with that bunch of choking pathetic losers. 38 years have I followed them faithfully, religiously, unconditionally. Nothing fair weather about me.

Since tv.com will not allow me to change my username, I must fold up shop once and for all...here. I have created a new account and will now be Les_Nessman. Les will continue to bring you the NFL Pick 'em Awards, plus insights on various isues of the day. I have no idea how long it will take before I get the full use of the blog toolbar. Right now the text is pretty small over there. Maybe when I get to Level 2!

Join me, please and oh yes, may the good news be yours!

It's great to be back with my tv.com family. I almost slipped once by clicking on the wrong bookmark by mistake but caught myself in the "ta da!" nick of time.

Here's some changes I would like to see addressed by the folks in charge.

1. Address the white space issue. As it stands now, I am blinded by the contrast.
2. The regular font, especially on people's blogs is so faint I have to go to MovieTome to read. Bigger and wider would be good.
3. Accept banners from my computer when the specs fall within acceptable parameters. I have a wonderful Cubs banner all made out but every time I try to install it, it keeps going back to my Dark banner.
4. People's avatars seems out of proportion now. Please fix that.
5. increase the number of tracked blogs to ten as it was before. Four make it hard to know what friends have been writing.

Weak 4 NFL Pick 'em Awards

A brutal week for me. I went 6-7, besting NYBrian by just one. According to Yahoo, I finished 21st out of 22. that places me from tied for third last week to tied for 7th this week with good pals Brandi and T_Brennan. At least I'm in good company! A four-way tie for the top spot makes this a very competitive league this year. A long way to go.

Ricky Williams Award

Five players were high this round, going 9-4 and RevBucky won the tie-breaker so he gets crowing rights, I guess. But doing just as well in their prognostication was IndianaMom (Dad has been noticeably absent this year but Mom has enough chops of her own), xboxliveguy, El Paquillo Loco and jokipper. The correct strategy this week was staying away from the upsets and play it safe by choosing the favored teams. Three of the five went with that strategy an it paid dividends.

Outhouse Award

Like I said before, I came within an eyelash of winning this dubious honor. Only NYBrian120 did worse, going 5-8.

McCain Award

Two players went maverick on us this week, paying off for

tuckgraph who foresaw Washington besting Dallas. Brandi went out on a limb in that Oakland game but the Chargers were just too tough so it cost the speech and debate teacher from Austin.

For the second straight week no one wins the Obama Award as everyone chose either Philadelphia or Pittsburgh or both. And no Copycat Award. But for the league this was a good thing.123home123 (one of four overall leaders) and I split on a single game but he nabbed that one so he increased his lead over me to three games.

Comeback Award

Pickachu2121 didn't bail as I speculated last week. So I take back his Vilsack Award and I'll just hang on to it in case someone does drop out.

Cubtoberfest

And so it begins. Last year the Cubs made a quick exit from the Playoffs but are expected to go further this year. If they can pitch around Manny Ramirez I like their chances. Philadelphia should be able to dispatch the Brewers without breaking much of a sweat while over in the junior circuit the upstart Rays should eliminate the White Sox fairly easily (tho a subway series has a nice ring, doesn't it?) The Angels should be favored over Boston but I see this series going five and it's anybody's guess who will face the Rays for the AL pennant.

Sweets: You know, a sane person would regret murdering someone more ... than being taken in by a line of crap.
Zack: Define crap.
Sweets: Drivel, blarney, nonsense, uh, balderdash, twaddle, bull, bunkum, hooey. Like that.
Zack: Now I realize it was drivel-blarney-nonsense-balderdash-twaddle-bull-bunkum-hooey. Then I perceived it as logic.

And thus my return to Bones is complete. I mean not just my body but my heart as well. I guess they haven't jumped the shark as I had previously feared. The Perfect Pieces in the Purple Pond was the best episode in quite awhile and perhaps Eric Millegan's best. Ironically Zack wasn't given this much attention in a storyline when he was a regular member of the cast. Now that he's an occasional guest star, he gets the best scenes. Go figure.

The above dialogue takes place very early in the episode and the printed text fails to capture the essence of th moment when Zach repeats Sweets' words they are in rapid machinegun fashion. I searched YouTube but failed to find the scene.

The other bright spot of the episode is Hodgins and his struggles adapting to a world where he has lost his girl and his best friend. Thanks T_Brennan for not giving up on me. Let's hope there are many many more good Zack episodes and because of the way the script was manipulated, possibly opening the door for Zack to return permanently. Until that day arrives we will continue to watch a different squint every week, much like we did when Murphy Brown had a new secretary every week. Wendall was good as the sub in this episode and the week before , The Practice's Michael Baddalucco was exquisite.

There will be a scheduling conflict Wednesday night as there will be three shows I want to watch and/or record at the same time and my dvr can only handle two of them.

1. Bones - TW's favorite show. It's not going anywhere.
2. The Cubs' first post-season game vs. the Dodgers. No way I'm going to throw the guys under the bus. Not when this just might be "the year."
3. That leaves the Season opener for Pushing Daisies. Afraid Ned the Pie Maker will lose out this time around. Anyone know where I might catch it online?

Hey, this happened back a week or two ago and I never mentioned it amidst all the site changes and my vacation but I have achieved Level 20! Don't ask me what a cow bell has to do with television but I'm sure there is an obtuse SNL or Seinfeld reference in there somewhere.

In Gay news, two professional singers have recently come out of the closet. The first wasn't unexpected, the second a big shocker. Hey everyone, Clay is Gay I've always liked Mr. Aiken and thought he got the shaft when he didn't win American Idol. Now...., oh forget it, it's too easy.

The other singer to announce publicly his orientation is fellow Hoosier Christian artist Ray Boltz, 55, who is perhaps best known for his megahit Thank You seen here on YouTube. My personal favorite of his tho is Watch the Lamb, seen here.

This news made TW sick. Me not so much. In an interview with The Washington Blade, a gay magazine, Boltz, who sold about 4.5 million records before retiring from the business a few years ago, said ""I'd denied it ever since I was a kid. I became a Christian, I thought that was the way to deal with this and I prayed hard and tried for 30-some years and then at the end, I was just going, 'I'm still gay I know I am.' And I just got to the place where I couldn't take it anymore ... when I was going through all this darkness, I thought, 'Just end this.'"

Political Question. Given Sarah Palin's performance on the public stage thus far, how will she do Thursday in her only debate with Joe Biden?

1. Biden will chew her up and spit her out.
2. Palin will send him back to Delaware wimpering and licking his wounds.
3. The debate will result in a draw. Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann will declare victory for the Democrats while Sean Hannity will pronounce a knockout on the Republican side.

Finally, this space will go dark now til Wednesday. I encourage you to find something else to do tomorrow so we can catch the eye of CBS. (Clever, huh?) Me? I'm going to probably work on a new post for Wednesday. My Week 4 NFL Pick 'em Awards, f'rinstance. Plus, a new banner for the Baseball Playoffs will materialize.

Go Cubs!!

Only MovieTome renders the above exclamation as submitted.

This line from Worf in "Star Trek: First Contact" is one of the film's better moments. I was thinking about that scene yesterday as I read Glenn's courageous post about the blackout he's organizing in response to the changes here at tv.com. I fully support his cause and will comply and urge you to do so as well. Next Tuesday, September 30th, I will not be logging in on tv.com or even MovieTome, even tho Tuesdays are the day I post my NFL Pick 'em Awards. They will not come out next week til Wednesday.

I am legally blind. I have difficulty reading certain web pages (including the new format) and even tho I have the capacity to enlarge the text it is not always that easy.

But this isn't my main complaint regarding the changes. I would be selfish to expect the powers that be to design their site solely to meet my individual needs. My concerns go much deeper.

The wonder and majesty of tv.com, the attraction for me and I suspect most of us is in the capacity to express our own individual s.t.y.l.e. and creativity through the various features. The first thing to catch my eye on any of my friends' blogs is their banner. Next is the blog itself, the text, the font, color, size are all ways we have to stand out and be recognized for that identity we project through our pages. The banner is there (I have deleted mine) but it is now dwarfed by the mind-numbing white space around it.

What I see so far is that we are all being made to be little more than Borg drones, conforming to a single format of listless unimaginative space, void of color, life and breath.

When Glenn said "Enough!" the Borg Queen and her cohorts responded quickly and decisively with a TOS violation. I can hear them hissing now, "Resistance is futile."

Time will tell if Glenn's (and now mine) crusade will bear fruit or not. That is out of my control. What is within my control is whether or not to log in next Tuesday, September 30th, and thereby sending a necessary message.

And now, it is up to you as well.

Week Three of the NFL season had more upsets and weird outcomes, setting up this season to be one of the more interesting and unpredictable NFL campaigns to date. There are no Copycat, Timex, Outhouse or Obama Awards this week so I came up with three to take their place.

Good Samaritan Award

I wish to publicly thank the lovely and gracious IndianaMom for helping me out in a pinch. As I was on vacation last week and away from computer access, she at my request went in and edited my picks. Actually it was just one and you'll never guess which one it was? The Colts! I had the Colts losing all week to Jacksonville and just a few short hours before the deadline I had I-Mom switch and so I end up looking pretty foolish. If only I was in a dead zone so my cell phone was inoperable but noooo, I had to go get "the network". Next time I see that geek with the black glasses, I'm firing projectiles into his general direction.

Vilsack Award

Named for Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, the first candidate to withdraw from the presidential race after officially announcing his entrance. Now I don't know if pickachu 2121 is out or not but he/she has only submitted picks in the first week so I have my doubts of his/her continued participation.

Edsel Award

This award goes to fishzone for choosing the 0-3 Detroit Lions all three times. I know they are his team but when does loyalty finally give way to sensibility?

Ricky Award

Named for Ricky Williams, this award goes to the one with the "highest" score of the week. And going into Monday night my pal Bobby (Finalsequel) had it all sewed up. But then he went and took another sip of the Favre Kool-Aid and so picking the Jets to catapult the Chargers to a 0-3 wasteland. That rare lapse enabled perennial hotshot Mike (123home123) and myself to a 3 way tie at 12-4.

In the words of Dr. Gregory House, "Snap!"

At the end of Week Three, I find myself tied for third with 31 points, still two behind Mike and one behind Bobby.

McCain Award

For his Maverick picks of Jacksonville over the Colts as well as Green Bay over Dallas, tuckgraph wins this award. Of course the outcome was a wash but this fella has the stones to take a chance and go against the field. Since Pittsburgh and Philadelphia played one another there is no Obama award this week.

And since no one finished worse than 8-8, I can't really give out an Outhouse Award.

Finally, my apologies for no colorful pictures that usually accompany these awards. For some reason that feature isn't working. Worse than that, my commands for text size are routinely ignored.

Oh well, at least we have a lot of nice headache-inducing white space to look at!

Week Two in the NFL brought a plethora of exciting finishes and controversies. Not sure but I think I heard there were no fewer than eight teams that came from behind in the fourth quarter to win which means any number of the 22 people in the tv.com Pick em League this year could have gone bust this week under the right circumstances. I know those who picked the Chargers feel royally screwed today over the ref's blown call. That covers over ¾ of those who cast their lot this week. On the other hand, I was one of the few who picked Denver so I ain't complainin too much. I'm sure it will all even out before we're through.

Therefore, I am more relieved than confident in my 10-5 showing. In addition to the Broncos game, the Colts nailbiter over the Vikings and last night's Cowboys victory over the Eagles (7 lead changes) could have easily turned the other way and I would have gone 7-8 in that case. As it is. I am tied for 5th overall (out of 22), just two games behind the top of the heap. Now, onto this week's Award winners.....

RICKY WILLIAMS AWARD

Given for the "highest" score of the week, jokipper's 11-4 mark was tops against the field and puts him tied with last week's Ricky Award recipient, 123home123 with best overall score of 21. Most impressive was his Raiders pick over the Chiefs.

OUTHOUSE AWARD

We need a two seater this week, as Sherasbear and tuckgraph managed a 6-9 output.

McCAIN & OBAMA AWARDS

The McCain Award is given for maverick picks and this week fishzone and lisagraham earned it with fish correctly picking the 49ers over the Seahawks. Lisa tried but her maverick pick of the Dolphins over the Arizona Cardinals didn't quite work out.

The Obama Award is given to anyone who chooses against both Steelers and Eagles. The Senator didn't win any friends in my current home state of Pennsylvania when he privately told a crowd of fatcats in SF how bitterly we cling to our guns and religion. This week's recipients, Simpsonian100 and xboxliveguy, went 1-1 with the Steelers narrowly beating the Browns and the Cowboys narrowly topping McNabb and the Eagles.

COPYCAT AWARD

My friend and fellow Cub fan Bobby (Finalsequel) matched my entire slate of games this week and he finds himself tied for third overall in the young season, one game out of first.

KOOL-AID AWARD

This week's special award goes to all of us who chose the Jets over the Patriots. We all drank the Favre Kool-Aid and were summarily punished for it. 14 of us were guilty of this, me included so I won't enumerate each one.

TIMEX AWARD

This award is even worse than the Outhouse Award because 0 points is a tough mountain to recover from. Pikachu2121 didn't make the deadline this week. Good news, there are 15 weeks to crawl back in. a few weeks of shrewd picks and you can ascend through the ranks pretty well.

VACATION!

On a personal note, TW and I will be getting away for a few days so I'll see you next Monday. Have a great week everybody!!

Go Cubs!

Carlos Zambrano wasn't even born when Milt Pappas threw the last Cubs no-hitter in 1972. The 27-year old is just the third pitcher from Venezuela to accomplish this momentous feat.

Zambrano was visibly tired in interviews moments after the game (Oh yeah, the Cubs beat the Astros 5-0). But Carlos suggested it wasn't the game itself that winded him but rather the celebration on the mound afterwards when his teammates mobbed him and they all started jumping up and down in unison.

Astros fans may insist on an asterisk placed beside this one. The game was technically a home game for Houston but with complications caused by Hurricane Ike, Major League Baseball moved the game to Miller Park in Milwaukee, a stone's throw from Wrigley Field. Consequently the park was filled with Cubs fans.

The no-hitter is even more amazing considering how hot the Astros were coming in to the weekend. They are contending for the Wild Card in the National League, having the best record since the All-Star break in July. Even after the loss yesterday, they are just two games behind the imploding Brewers and the momentum-gaining Phillies.

We Cub fans are also scratching our collective heads because Zambrano was hurt, had missed a start with a sore rotator cuff and had pitched horribly in his last five starts or so. Did his 100+ pitches aggravate the injury? That's what the Cubs and their fans will be watching closely now. As Zambrano himself said after the game, the World Series is the only thing that counts now.

Saturday Night Yawn

SNL had their highly anticipated season premier on Saturday. Ratings were high as expected as the election season is so highly charged right now with Sarah Palin's entrance onto the world stage. Add recent Olympic phenom Michael Phelps as host and we were all expecting a great show.

Except for the home run opening sequence that featured Tina Fey as Palin (separated at birth?) and Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton, the show was simply not funny. Phelps is no Peyton Manning but the primary problem I believe was in the writing. The sketches just seemed to lack that creative comedic edge that has sustained SNL for a generation. The game show skit that lampooned home schoolers as a bunch of idiotic right-wing extremist religious buffoons was droll at best and downright offensive at worst. But forget how insulting it was. SNL has always been on the cutting edge of social commentary. The main crime in this and every other sketch was that they were simply not funny. New head writer Seth Myers better go back to the drawing board and come up with some better bits if they want to continue getting good ratings.

Or maybe I'm just getting old.

Bones followed up their disappointing 2-hour London premier with an episode last Wednesday about a man found dead in an outhouse. A fitting metaphor on so many levels. A whole hour of poo and sex banter, fortunately they never intersected.

The producers seem to be obsessed with sex this season and if they don't stop it, they will lose one of their most ardent fans. TW doesn't let me watch Two and A Half Men because of the relentless barrage of sexual content and it's why she abandoned Grey's Anatomy in their first season. Bones is her show not mine, especially now that Zack is for all intents and purposes a fading memory.

All right, here we go for the first of 17 posts (16 actually, I'm out of town the first week of November) to spotlight individual achievement in the tv.com NFL Yahoo Pick 'em Contest. I usually start out strong in these things, 11 or 12 wins. But not this year. In fact, I'm a mediocre 9-7. Fortunately no one else was tearing up the 22 person league this week, either. Now, on to the Awards...

Ricky Williams Award

Given to the ones with the "highest" point total for the week and it goes to 123home123 and Heystu Royals. Each went 11-5. Hmmm, weren't these the same guys who started this league to begin with?

George Santayana Award

He's the one who said: "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." And I award this one to me! Don't ask me to explain but I have a much better record in past years for games starting on Sunday 1:00 p.m. or earlier (like the Giants game). J, I tank so often in the later games. It's happenedd to me time and time again. Just when I am lulled into a false sense of security.

Week One, I start out 7-3. I proceed to drop four of the next 5. It's maddening!

Copycat Award

NYBrian120, whose name I believe isn't Brian but Dan, chose the precise identical slate of games as I did. What are the odds of that happening in a field of 20?

McCain and Obama Awards

These awards go to the same player, RevBucky, one of my more recently acquired friends along with Dan (NYBrian120). Bucky gets the McCain Award for having the guts to play the maverick on three different games. Worked twice, giving him a game advantage on the whole field.

But the Rev also gets the Obama Award for picking against BOTH teams in Pennsylvania. Steelers and Eagles fans would be about as pleased to hear that as they were when Obama made his crack in San Fran about how bitter Pennsyvanians are clinging to their guns and their religion.

Outhouse Award

I really hate to do this to my good friend FlyingHellfish. He knows why. 7-9 won't cut it in this league. Of the 20 who remembered to cast their choices, Hellfish came in last. A couple of his picks that cost him dearly were the Raiders over the Broncos and the Browns over the Cowboys.

Timex Award

That just leaves this last award that goes to tvfanatic91 and fireballil who missed the deadline and so begin the season in a deep hole. Don't worry. They won't be the last to do that!

This will be one of those salmon swimming upstream posts because I am well aware that the vast majority of my good friends here at tv.com will not be in agreement with what I'm about to say.

I am quite taken with Vice-President wannabe Sarah Palin of Alaska. She is truly amazing. She took on the entrenched Republican machine in her home state and succeeded in cleaning up the corruption and pork barrel spending which has catapulted politics into the mud.

Funny, smart and yes Lou Grant, she has spunk.

Her critics are legion. But she is weathering the storm better than most of us ever could.

Unless one of the thousands of ugly rumors from the far left pans out, she will make a dandy vice-president.

OK, to prove I have a sense of humor, I'll throw all of my liberal friends a bone.

Speaking of politics and the conventions, MSNBC ran a wonderful montage on the closing night of the Democratic Convention in Denver. Excerpts of some of the best zingers from the podium were strung together in entertaining fashion. I was all ready to see what they would do with the Republicans. And guess what? Nothing! I went to journalism school back in the 70's. They taught us to be fair and balanced. They taught us to be objective. After watching CNN, FOX and MSNBC the last two weeks I can only imagine how those professors must weep at night.

Are you ready for some football? Over 20 of us in tv.com have signed up in a pick em contest through Yahoo. The only ones really interested in my picks are probably already signed up so I won't be listing those this year. Colts and Patriots are the only unanimous picks in week one. The Bengals-Ravens game is evenly split down the middle so that will be an interesting result as well.

Watched the 2 hour season premier of Bones

(don't worry - no spoilers here) and well, I am still in mourning over the Zack Addy debacle of last spring so I may not be the most objective in this case but the episode left me flat. I will continue watching the show because it's TW's favorite (with Mike and Mike coming in a close second).

Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson (Deal or No Deal spoiler)

Congrats to Mrs. Jessica Robinson, the first million dollar winner, Her young family from Utah will now be moving to Texas. At the taping she was 7 months pregnant with her second child, a son. This show continues to try to outdo itsel. During the broadcast they actually dumped some Teas soil onto the stage - complete with cow manure. I think I can drop this one from my "Must See" list this Fall.

So do I as well. As Summer fades into Autumn, my whole profile page here at tv.com is undergoing a fresh look as well.

First thing you notice is the new banner. I tried to incorporate many of my favorite tv shows and if not for those dastardly tabs (why can't they go down instead of up?) I would have succeeded. Lost in the shuffle were Barney Miller, Pushing Daisies and Monk. To help me with this particular motif, I enlistd the help of Wordles.com. Wasn't easy but I rather enjoy the final product.

Next I changed my avatar from the familiar Cubs logo to Columbo. The Cubs are on a four game losing streak so I thought I might try to help. Fortunately the Brewers have also lost their last two so not losing much ground over that span. And who doesn't just love Columbo?

(If he liked Columbo so much how come he isn't in the banner?)

ahem, moving right along....

I re-inserted my favorite blog signature which is several incarnations of the best comedian of all time, Red Skelton.

Another addition is my newest emblem, the first in a very long time. I finally got around to writing my 16th review so I got my typewriter. One of these days I will get to level 20 and then I'll be content for awhile.

Over the last three months a bevy of new friends made their way over here, tracking yours truly and thus in my book constituting the title of 'friend.' Many of you already know them. So formally may I welcome : kwell1, tvfanatic91, historyseeker22, no1thinker, tuckgraph, lisagraham, Hoeech, HelloStuart, Mac-Ale, nathaniel-hola, Walkerdoug, abdullah2220, -amanda-, big_haircut22 and count-chocula to Tommy's Place.

A Speedo-free edition today - someone tell Mac-Ale he can open his eyes now....

SWEEP

The Cubs keep rolling on, sweeping a three game series with Bob's Pirates and taking an impressive 6 game lead in the division with a month to go. The Cubs won 14 of 18 from Pittsburgh this year. I could go on but I don't want to jinx them any more than I already have.

LEAP

I am surely leaping for joy because my favorite villain has popped up again on As The World Turns. Long before Luke/Noah (whose celibacy seems to be interminable at this point) there was James, James Stenbeck wreaking havoc on the citizens of Oakdale with exquisite s.t.y.l.e and c.l.a.s.s, thanks to impeccable performances by Anthony Herrera.

VEEP

Well a Veep wannabe anyway - Joe Biden, Barack Obama's choice to sit over his right shoulder during State of the Union addresses. I actually like Biden a lot more than Obama and I really like Beau Biden, Joe's son who introduced his father last night. Young, intelligent, articulate & quite handsome to boot.

CREEP

Wipe that smile off your face Senator. Better yet, kindly remove your cap because no one is buying your pandering. Everyone knows you're a southsider and a fan of the White Sox. Fine. No problem. But now you have taken it too far. In a recent ESPN interview, you said who you'd root for in a Cubs-Sox World Series. You could have said White Sox and leave it at that but did you? Nooo, you had to go and diss every Cub fan when you said "

You go to Wrigley Field, you have a beer, beautiful people up there. People aren't watching the game. It's not serious. White Sox, that's baseball. South Side."

Guess who just made up his mind on who to vote for in November? That's right, I'm voting for the one who roots for the Arizona Diamondbacks!

Now that I've milked this birthday business for all its worth, it's time to move on. Too much to cover today with the Cubs, As the World Turns and of course The Democratic Convention. So let's do the Olympics, shall we?

Beijing behind us, time to reflect on what we've seen. We have witnessed two nations dominating sport for two weeks. The U.S. won the most medals (110) the most ever by the Americans in an Olympics not hosted in the states. But host nation China walked away with the most gold medals and it wasn't even close.

The 'Redeem Team' men's basketball team grabbed the most headlines other than Michael Phelps' historic run but there were others who deserve recognition. The U.S. earned over 30 gold medals in Beijing, perhaps none more earned than decathlon champ Bryan Clay.

Clay finished the 10-discipline decathlon competition with 8,791 points on Friday, a whopping 240 ahead of the silver medalist. It was the most one-sided decathlon triumph since the 1972 Munich Games. Clay joins the likes of Bruce Jenner and Jim Thorpe as Olympic champions in an event that an American has won 12 times in 22 Olympics but only twice since 1976.

But my favorite event turned out to be the 10 meter men's diving competition. The Chinese took gold in the first seven events and was heavily favored to sweep but the pressure was too much for Zhou Luxin and he choked on his final dive, leaving an opening for Australian Matthew Mitchum, who exercised incredible poise and nailed his final dive to earn the gold medal.

Matt made headlines several weeks ago (including here in my Gay Pride post) by publicly announcing through an interview that he is gay But NBC never even mentioned it, which to some gay activists may be seen as a slight but another perspective might embrace this as gay athletes becoming more mainstream so it's not that relevant to his performance on the diving platform.

Finchum

Boudia

Two Americans made it to the finals and both I am proud to say, are Hoosiers. Neither Thomas Finchum or David Boudia, both teens, medaled in Beijing so each now look ahead to London in 2012. But they most definitely will contend with the biggest surprise of the diving category, Tom Daley of great Britain who at 14, finished 7th, ahead of both Finchum and Boudia. Daley's story is an inspiring one and perhaps I will address it more in depth at a later time but for now he looks to be the early favorite four years from now as the games will be on his home turf.

Tom Daley

So, a half-century since the doctor swatted my sweet little baby butt. Don't know about you but I feel like partying like it was 1958!

1958, when Barbie is born (full grown) and hula-hoops are all the craze and Chevy rolled out their first Impala convertible.

Ricky Nelson had the top record in August with "Poor Little Fool."

Click here.

I don't think anyone fully anticipated what we are currently witnessing in Beijing. For decades to come we will be telling our children and grandchildren about the marvel that is Michael Phelps. He is Babe Ruth, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Roger Federer and Jerry Rice. That is, he is in a league all by himself. Enjoy these images of this incredible athlete.

Beginning with his debut at 15 in Sydney and then onto Athens and finally Beijing with a few international stops along the way.

Good luck Michael the rest of the way. You make us all proud to be Americans.

FRIDAY: Special Birthday Blog

My journey back to tv.com will be in stages. First comes my writing, next responding to comments and thirdly reading and commenting on your blogs. I do appreciate your patience.

Hope you are enjoying the Olympics. I know I am, if for no other reason than Michael Phelps who is going for a record 8 gold medals in one Olympiad. He needs just one more to tie him with four others for most overall. That may come this evening (Tuesday morning in Beijing). I hope Glenn is able to go and enjoy the games in person. Haven't exactly visited his blog in awhile.

And really, no explanations why I have totally bailed on my tv.com family. Two months ago I never would have dreamed this would be happening.

Anyway, the apologies first. IndianaMom and Joey had birthdays and I missed them both. My deepest regrets are for these oversights because both have meant so much to me on levels I cannot begin to articulate. Those are the only ones I know for sure, there may be others. August and July are popular months for birthdays, I should know. TW turned 50 last week and I will be doing the same next week. I know what you are thinking. Sure, he comes back so everyone can fawn all over him and then afterwards he will retreat into his former self-exile and we won't hear from him again til the Fall Season begins.

How cynical is that? It may be true but cynical nevertheless.

But this period of silence wasn't without its rewards. For you, that is. For one thing you ddn't have to read all about my bout with hemorrhoids Caused no doubt by excessive sitting at this computer reading and writing all about tv.com as well as other less than wholesome fare.

And you weren't subjected to my increasingly prurient interest in sex.

Especially as it pertains to the dynamic duo of daytime, Luke and Noah, who are celebrating their first year together as a couple and have not yet done the nasty. 15 year old Parker Snyder has devirginized the lovely and slightly older Liberty however. Forget for a moment they are cousins (not by blood but does that really make a difference?) These are kids. Luke and Noah are in college, both over 18. So it's ok to have children having meaningless sex but not two consenting adults who are in love with each other and have been together as a committed couple for an entire year? Give me a freaking break! Tho I must say Mick Hazen (Parker) is a cutie and in a couple years may well be inserted into my royal flush banner.

Aren't you glad you didn't have to read about that when it happened? Oh and you are probably tired of me going on and on ad nauseum about the Cubs who currently enjoy a five game lead over the Brewers.

To top all that off, you were spared my sexy Olympic photos of athletes in spandex. I know how much that could be offensive to some people. And you didn't have to read about the twin Hamm brothers who are pictured in all their hotness below but neither will be competing in Beijing because of injuries they have sustained.

What really pushed me back was Flying Hellfish who let me know that tv.com is putting together an official Yahoo Football Pickem group, so I just want everyone to have fun and go to the Sports Forum linked here to start the process of getting on board this year. After the Brett Favre soap opera and his getting traded to the Jets, it should be an exciting season.

Aaron McCargo Jr. won The Next Food Network Star and I thought Lisa was going to win it but I was pulling for Adam.

When does Mark get back from New Zealand? I miss our chats and I want to tell him what a naughty boy I've been while he's been away.

My next blog might just be the birthday blog on the 15th. Last year I posted The Stranger. Nothing so deep and heavy this year.

That's kinda what I've been on the last month. Ever since the vacation I haven't had the urge, the inclination for tv.com. I cannot fully explain it. You all know how I feel about you guys but I really did need a break and I believe you needed a break from me. I've never been one to multitask very well.

One obsession at a time is about all I can handle.

So am I back for good? Probably not like I was before the break. But I will try to be around more than I've been as of late.

T.W.

I think my 81 year old mother did my wife in. While I was in Houston the 2 most important individuals in my life spent the weekend shopping and walking, eating and driving. TW's back hasn't recovered YET. Two shots and a lot of painkillers later, she is managing the best she can.

Meanwhile, Mom is doin great.

Still in first place, the Cubs return home after a subpar4-6 road trip. They did receive some delightful news. They will send 7 players tothe All Star Game this year, a franchise record. The game is tapped for next Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. Alfonso Soriano, Geovany Soto, Aramis Ramiriz, Kosuke Fukudome, Ryan Dempster, Kerry Wood and Carlos Zambrano will join manager Lou Piniella in the National League dugout. My favorite Cub, Ryan Theriot, the only one hitting over .300 did not make the team.

The Next Food Network Star

Other than baseball, not a lot to watch this summer. One exception is this reality show, now in its 4th season, that hasn't always delivered the big stars. Last year's "winner" Amy Finley taped a grand total of six segments of her show "The Gourmet Next Door." According to her, they offered to do more but she opted out and moved to France. Of course season two champ Guy Fieri is a breakout star with a number of vehicles for The Food Network including "Guy's Big Bite" and "Diner's, Drive-ins & Dives." First season's winners, Hearty Boys Dan and Steve weren't the splash the network hoped for, either. To be honest, however, the Chicago-based real life couple have taped 32 episodes of their show "Party Line with The Hearty Boys" which I find entertaining (pardon the pun).

As for this season's wannabes, the five finalists are poised to strut their stuff in the homestretch. They appeared on Rachael Ray's talk show with their own Brownie (Girl Scout, not the dessert) and there were a number of surprises.

SPOILER ALERT (eliminated contestant revealed at the conclusion of this review.)

Aaron's Shining Moment

His culinary chops never in doubt, his nemesis ha always been the camera, the spotlight, the defining moment of presentation. But Aaron embraced this moment as he is a daddy himself and so he is right at home with his Junior Chef and knocks the ball out of the park.

Kelsey's Authority

All season long the judges have tried to get Kelsey (who I keep referring to as Casey) to 'grow up' and seize authority in her food segments. Well, she tried, bless her heart but it backfires. She connects well with her kid partner but makes Rachael do the actual cooking! Meanwhile, all Kelsey does is talk and it puts her in a vulnerable position of possible elimination. Thus ends a string of successes that has seen one recipe get published on a Red Lobster menu and another featured in Bon Appetit magazine.

Adam's Inner Child

On thin ice in the early going, there has always been someone just a little worse when it came time to get the boot. Adam has gotten this far on charm alone. The food for the most part has been undercooked and one more slipup and he would most certainly be history. So he comes out with his partner and absolutely kills! The audience loves him, Rachael loves him and the kid loves him. Most importantly, the judges love him and his food is delicious to boot!

Lisa's Couscous

By far the most complex personality in the competition, one never knows which Lisa will show up and whether we want to love her or hate her. No one has tried harder or invested so much emotional capital in her individual segments. Lisa the elitist shows up tonight and the judges nail her on bullying the kid to make dishes that she never even heard of, such as couscous. When on set with Ms. Ray, Lisa is obviously overwhelmed and intimidated by the affable Rachael Ray and shuts down emotionally. Ray rescues the segment but wll it be enough to rescue Lisa?

Shane's Vicarious Journey

Her name was Francesca. A real cutie, but Shane didn't notice. In fact he forgets her name in the only moment during the 4 minute segment he didn't ignore her. Shane admits he isn't comfortable around kids which is ironic because at 19, he is the closest to their age than any of his fellow contestants. At the end of the show, the judges probe his heart. Why is he so enamored with French cuisine? As it turns out, it has been through only what he has read and studied in culinary school. He's never actually lived it or even visited France. It's all one vicarious mirage. And although he has proven himself in the kitchen on most episodes, it has in the end been a technical achievement at best. The passion itself is absent and it costs him dearly.

Shane is sent packing. And all along I thought he had the inside track to getting his own show. In the end his somewhat arrogant declaration "I will not be derailed by a 10 year old" came back to bite him in the rear. He will not be accompanying his fellow finalists to the big Vegas showdown with Paula Dean next time. It's now anybody's game.

AS THE NUKE TURNS

Been awhile for everything, including an update on Luke and Noah's relationship. Well, the boys have been on the outs ever since the Colonel dove into the Atlantic, presumably drowned. This is a soap, people. No body, no death. Noah's dad will resurface, mark my words.

Anyway, Noah blames Luke because the naïve young man thought he was just about to talk his old man in surrendering to the authorities when Luke arrived with the police. Ameera left the show, giving Nuke her blessing. But Noah wants some space.

1980's icon Cyndi Lauper pops in last Thursday for an appearance and Luke interviews her for the college newspaper. He tells the LGBT advocate of his own situation and is understandably crestfallen when Noah walks in with another guy.

Lauper reads the situation and strives to encourage Luke and dedicates her song "True Colors" to him. Watch it here. Noah is visibly affected and the break-up is history. All right, now the guys can get together, right? Not so fast Kowalski, it seems Noah is joining the Army!

SPOILER ALERT

After Holden tells his son to go find Noah, Luke walks into the recruitment office and when asked who he is, our sandy haired hero replies "I'm his boyfriend."

They ask, he tells!

HIV rates are up!!

By David Brown
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, June 27, 2008; A14

The number of young homosexual men being newly diagnosed with HIV infection is rising by 12 percent a year, with the steepest upward trend in young black men, according to a new report.

The double-digit increase in young gay men is about 10 times higher than in the homosexual community overall, where the number of new infections is going up about 1.5 percent a year.

The report, released yesterday by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, appears to confirm impressions that a "second-wave" AIDS epidemic is underway in gay America.

"These men represent a new generation that has not been personally affected by AIDS in the same way that their older peers were," said Richard Wolitski, acting director of HIV-AIDS prevention at CDC.

The new data cover 33 states. Whether they reflect the entire country is unknown, although the states include New York, Florida, New Jersey and Texas, all of which have large numbers of HIV-infected people.

The study found that homosexual men were the only risk group in which the number of new infections rose annually from 2001 through 2006. (Epidemiologists prefer the term "men who have sex with men," or MSM, because many of them do not identify themselves as homosexual or gay In contrast, injecting-drug users, homosexual men who injected drugs, and heterosexuals each showed declines in new infections over that period.

In the 13-to-24-year-old group, the average annual increase was 12 percent, compared with a 1 percent decline in 25-to-44-year-olds, and a 3 percent rise in gay men 45 and older.

In the youngest age bracket, the yearly rise averaged 8 percent among Hispanics, 9 percent among whites and 15 percent among blacks.

Previous studies have found that gay black men on average have fewer sex partners, are less likely to use drugs and are no more likely to have unprotected intercourse than gay white men. Consequently, their higher rate of infection does not appear to arise from riskier behavior.

Instead, it reflects the higher prevalence of HIV -- as well as syphilis and gonorrhea, which increase a person's susceptibility to HIV -- in the black population.

"When you see a 15 percent yearly increase, that is an epidemic that is out of control," said Phill Wilson, head of the Black AIDS Institute in Los Angeles. "And yet we don't see a response that recognizes it is an epidemic out of control."

Ron Simmons, president of Us Helping Us, an AIDS service organization for gay black men, said the revolution in antiretroviral therapy in the last decade appears to have lessened the fear of HIV infection.

"I can remember going to a funeral every four or five days. Now, if you talk to some of these young men, they say, 'If I do get infected, I will simply take the blue pill or the pink pill, like my friend,' " he said.

A study published online last month in the American Journal of Public Health showed that prevention messages tailored for gay black men can work.

Researchers recruited "opinion leaders" in the gay communities of three cities in North Carolina. The people were trained to talk to their peers not only about ways to protect themselves from HIV but also about other issues, such as homophobia in some black churches and racism.

A year later, the frequency of unprotected high-risk intercourse was down 30 percent in the three gay communities, and the number or people who said they always used condoms was up a similar amount.

The CDC is providing the strategy, called "d-UP!" -- slang for defend yourself -- to 200 organizations around the country later this year.

Limited computer time this week. My mom who is from Indiana is due in shortly. On Friday I fly to Houston for the weekend.

Have a great week everyone and try to keep cool. It's hot and muggy here in PA.

GO CUBS!

Jim McKay was one of the most respected and admired persons in sport and is perhaps most remembered for anchoring the Olympics, particularly the 1972 games in Munich when terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes. He was 86.